Merlin's bodygaurd
by kkpuppy
Summary: what if merlin had someone to watch his back the way he watches arthur's back? merlin/oc
1. Chapter 1

I look up at the howls. The local pack is hunting a group of humans. That's odd there are very few humans that would dare to enter these woods. It's why I came here in the first place. As a shifter, should I meet with a wizard, I am drawn to protect that wizard. I have hidden in these woods since I left my pack. I feel a slight tingle as the wolves howl again. There is a wizard with that group of humans, and a powerful one at that. Otherwise I would not feel the pull from this far away.

I put out my campfire, and grab my bag. It was made by the seamstresses in my pack. It is designed to stay on me even when I shift. I race through the woods. If I am fast enough, I should be able to save the wizard. I race through the woods. The wolves howl again, and I get a tingle of electricity down my spine. I leap over a fallen tree, and shift into my wolf form. I land as a jet black wolf. I move twice as fast now. I send up a howl of my own, claiming to hunt the wolf pack.

I shiver in the cold. How is it Arthur always manages to get enlisted in the most dangerous journeys? I stoke the fire, and shiver as the wolves howl again. This time though a single voice rises up separate from the pack. I can feel something ancient and magical approaching. A deeper voice sings a sinister song. I hear the wolves start yelping, and making more noise than usual. One of the bushes on the edge of the clearing starts to shake violently. Out of it leaps a let black wolf. My hair stands on end at the magic flowing off of this wolf.

I watch as the young wizard stands up. I surprised him, so it's only natural that he would look so frightened. "What is your name warlock?" I mind speak to him.

He blinks a few times, and looks around the clearing. "Who wants to know?" he asks the air.

"I, raven, of the shifters," I tell him with a slight bow of my head.

"How do I know that it is you?" he asks.

I look around for a moment, before I wiggle my bag off. I pull out a blanket, and pull it over my shoulders. "If you cover up how will I know it wasn't a trick?" he asks.

"I'll be naked when I return to my human form. Do you really want to see me naked?" I ask him. His face flushes a bright red. "I didn't think so. It will only take a moment," I tell him. I turn my back to him, and shift.

The magic in the air triples. Then it disappears all together, and there is a girl in the place where the wolf was. She is holding the blanket tight to her bare body. She turns to face me, and I feel my face burn. She is very pretty, and mostly naked. "Will you tell me your name now wizard?" she asks. Her voice isn't as harsh as her mental voice.

"It's Merlin," I stammer. She smiles at me.

That is a very good strong name. He must be someone very great indeed to have a name like that. "Merlin, I will watch out for you from now on, if that is ok with you," I ask him.

"Why?" he asks.

"It is a shifters job to protect a wizard when we meet one. It is ingrained in our very natures. I have found you, and so I must keep you safe," I explain.

"Why me?" he asks.

"It is not a choice Merlin. There are so few shifters nowadays, because of Uther that we bond to the first wizard we meet," I tell him.

"I'm the first wizard you've ever met?" he asks in shock.

"I have been hiding out in this forest to avoid it, but your magic is so strong that it called me to you from many miles away," I say almost happily.

"You might want to shift back. The other will be waking up soon. Plus it's really cold out here," Merlin says shyly.

"Are you going to make me leave you?" I ask.

"No if you can't help it then I won't try to change you," he says nicely.

"Can you carry my bag?" I ask him.

"Absolutely," he says with a big smile. And now it is my turn to blush because he is handsome when he smiles. I give him a small smile, before I shift again. I crawl from under the blanket, and shake out my fur coat. Merlin comes over, and folds the blanket for me. He stuffs it into my bag, and hangs my bag over his shoulder.

We sit by the fire talking about nothing in particular. The knights around us stir, and get up. Merlin is still laughing at a joke I told him. The knights all look at him like he is crazy. I wag my tail. A blonde notices me first. "Merlin, don't move. There is a wolf sitting next to you," he says in a serious voice.

Merlin looks down at me. "Huh would you look at that there is," he says in a joking voice. He pulls out a pot, and starts getting breakfast ready.

"Merlin for once will you do what I say?" the blonde asks.

"No because she isn't a threat," Merlin says simply.

"Isn't a threat, Merlin this is not a palace dog, this is a wolf. You cannot tame one," the blonde says heatedly.

"Why don't you come over here and pet her," Merlin says just as heatedly. I look between the two warily. Slowly I stand up, and walk over to the blonde with my head tilted to the side. He watches me warily, with a hand on his sword. I wag my tail to ease his fears, but he is of a stubborn lot. I reach my nose towards his foot. I see him tense up so I sit down, and stare into his eyes. I whine at him a little, until he reaches out. I lick his gloved hand, and he rolls his eyes at the look on Merlin's face.

"Breakfast is ready Arthur," Merlin says happily.


	2. Chapter 2

I blink for a few minutes. "Arthur who?" I ask Merlin mentally.

"Pendragon," he answers me the same way. I look up at the blonde in front of me with wonder. There are so many legends, and prophesies about Arthur Pendragon. I never thought I would actually meet him. A thought pops into my head. If this is Arthur, then that means Merlin, is Emrys.

I look over at Merlin sharply. I cannot believe I have bonded with Emrys. He almost single handedly helps to create Albion. I pad silently over to him, and lick his face. He giggles a little, and my heart flutters. I cannot fall in love, with Emrys. This is dangerous. He holds a spoon out to me. It smells really good. The others are already eating greedily. I lick the spoon, and the flavors explode on my tongue.

Her eyes go buggy at the taste. I give her a shy smile, as she licks the spoon more vigorously. It must be really good. I make up two bowls, before the knights decide to eat it all. I place one on the ground for raven to eat. "Merlin that's people food, you shouldn't spoil the wolf," Arthur says around a mouth full of food.

I growl at him, while I continue to eat. Anyone would have to be crazy to think about taking this away from me. I see Merlin's hand come into view. It picks up the bowl, I whine a little. I wanted more of it though. He scoops more into the bowl, and gives it back. "Hey don't give it all to her!" one of the knights complain.

"Please Gawain, there is plenty left for your massive stomach," Merlin teases. Everyone laughs. I wag my tail at the friendly atmosphere. Now that they are certain I do not intend to kill them all in their sleep, they seem happy to have me. They should too. Any human should feel lucky to be in the company of a shifter. I lick the bowl clean.

"Well Merlin it appears that your cooking is considered well to some," Arthur jokes.

I look at Raven. I can see the smile in her eyes. I blush a little at the memory of those eyes, burning in the fire light. Looking at me from the face of a beautiful girl, those eyes were taunting. "Are you ok Merlin?" Gawain asks.

"Hmm?" he asks. His face is a little red. I hope he isn't catching a cold.

"Are you alright?" Gawain asks again.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Merlin asks back.

"Your face is all red. I thought maybe you being up all night, might be the reason for that," Gawain says.

"Merlin you were up all night?" Arthur asks. If I didn't know any better I would think I heard concern in his voice.

"Well yeah. The other wolves were howling, and I couldn't sleep," Merlin admits.

"I do not want to hear that you need a break today," Arthur complains.

Merlin just smiles sadly. My heart hurts stupid feelings. I watch as they pack up camp, and get the horses ready. I stay close to Merlin as each knight mounts. "That thing is not coming with us," Arthur says moodily.

"Are you going to stop her?" Merlin asks.

"We are not going to play this game Merlin. We are on a dangerous journey. She cannot come with us," he says seriously.

"But I've already named her," Merlin pleads.

"Come on Arthur. It could be neat to have the extra help on hunts and such," Gawain says. I like him. He has a certain air about him that attracts the eye. I wag my tail at him, and bark happily. Everyone laughs.

"Looks like Gawain has a new admirer," Arthur jokes.

Gawain looks down at me, and I give him a wolfish grin. I can see that he is nervous now, but I smile bigger, and show off my lovely teeth. Let them fear me; I only need Merlin to trust me. "Fine she can come, but it better not slow any of us down," Arthur says heatedly, before starting a hard pace. I stay at Merlin's side for about half a mile, before his horse starts to get spooked.

I can't help it. My horse is terrified of Raven. I see her fall back a little, so the horse can no longer she her. "I'm sorry Raven," I apologize telepathically. She sends me a mental hug. I feel all warm, and safe for a moment. It leaves just as quickly as it comes. I smile to myself.

I sense them, before I smell them. The local pack surrounds me, and forces me to stop. I growl at them. How dare ordinary wolves think that they can take me down? I sit patiently for one of them to make the first move. They never get that chance. Riders from behind us on the trail, scare them off. I jump out of the way. These men look like assassins. They must be after Arthur. I leap at one of them, and take down rider and horse.

His companions do not stop. I kill the man, and shift. I put his clothes on. Now that I am dressed, I pull on the man's helmet, mount his horse, and race to catch up with the others. I just hope I can make it in time. "Merlin," I whisper into his mind. I send him a picture of the assassins coming after them.


	3. Chapter 3

I gasp a little at the pain in my mind. Suddenly there are images flowing through my mind. I see assassin's chasing us. I hear Raven's voice whisper through my mind. She is calling me. No she is warning me. After all her job is apparently to protect me, and not Arthur so it would make since if she wanted me out of the way.

"Arthur! Assassin's are following us!" I yell up to him.

He looks back at me, and I see his eyes go buggy. That must mean that they were closer then Raven thought. I turn the horse to face the assassins. They pull up on the reins when they come face to face with the six of us. They rush in with their swords drawn, while I get out of the way. Everything is a blur of movement that I don't even register that Raven is not there. I dismount to make myself a smaller target.

There are ten assassins. Who could have possibly sent them? Who knew of the path we were traveling? A very small number of people knew. Another assassin comes down the path, with their sword drawn. I see that Arthur is the closest person to this new assassin. He doesn't see it coming. I raise my hand, and whisper a spell to knock the assassin off the horse. It doesn't work.

I hear Raven's voice scream inside my head. "MERLIN!" I see the new assassin look in my direction. I blush a little. Raven rushes into the battle. She starts attacking the assassins. This confuses them, but they fight her back. The knights cannot tell the difference. Raven must now defend against both parties. Out of nowhere Arthur tackles her to the ground.

"Wait Arthur!" I yell. Raven kicks Arthur off, and proceeds to fight the assassins. The knights manage to defeat all, but Raven. They surround her. Slowly she puts the sword on the ground. That doesn't stop the knights though. I run into the circle, and stand in front of Raven.

"Merlin! What the hell do you think you are doing?" Arthur asks me angrily.

"Didn't you see that he was fighting with you? He even put his sword down, so he would not be seen as a threat," Merlin pleads. I take my chance, and run into the woods. I strip on the run, so that I can shift. They are following me, but even in human form I am faster than them. I shift easily, and turn so that I can come up behind them.

I silently pad up behind Merlin who is waiting with the horses. I bark, and he jumps. I wag my tail to show that I am amused. He scratches me behind the ears. I hear Arthur, and the others crashing through the bushes. We both look up at them, as they step into the clearing. "Figures that the wolf is a chicken, just like you Merlin," Arthur comments.

"Don't pick on her Arthur. You know she can beat you up anytime she wants," Merlin says with a smile.

"As if she could do that," Gawain says happily.

"Don't doubt her. She is a strong wolf," Merlin says. He puffs his chest out a little. He is even cuter when he is trying to defend my honor.

"Come on I want to get a little further before we stop to make camp," Arthur says.

"So where are we going anyways?" I whisper in Merlin's mind.

"We are searching for the abandoned castle of Lufpleh. He was a sorcerer, and when he died his castle fell into a lake. There have been rumors that more magical creatures are roaming the area, At least more than usual. We need to find the castle to see what is going on. It also helps that the castle is rumored to be filled with treasure. So we have to investigate the rumors about the magical creatures, and we get to hunt for treasure," Merlin explains for me.

I think about that for a bit, until Arthur call for camp. I dash into the woods to hunt for some food. Every little contribution helps, when you're out on the road. I catch five rabbits, and carry them back to the camp. I shake my head at the fact that they are still setting up the fire. I carry the rabbits over to Arthur. I gently paw at his leg.

"Not now wolf," he says a little exasperated. I whine, and nudge him. He sighs, before looking at me. His mouth drops open at all the rabbits I have. "Good news gents," Arthur says happily. Everyone stops to listen. The wolf is officially more useful than Merlin," Arthur says cheerfully.

"How is she more useful?" Merlin asks.

"She can hunt, and you can't," Arthur says simply. He scratches me behind my ears. I wag my tail, and drop the rabbits in his lap. He gags a little as the blood seeps into his clothes. "Thanks wolf," he says through gritted teeth. I prance over to Merlin. I feel better at having made Arthur queasy.

I watch the two together, and smile to myself. Raven gets along pretty well with everyone. It's a good thing too. The six of us tend to be together a lot. I watch as Raven drops the rabbits she caught in Arthurs lap. I cover up my smile at the face he makes. What really got to me was the look of satisfaction on Ravens face. I laugh into my hand. I can't stop it.

"Merlin stop dilly dallying. Get the wood for the fire already. The sun will set soon," Arthur yells. I mumble a little as I walk around the campsite gathering wood. I watch as Raven starts to gather as well. I smile when our eyes meet. Even though I have only known her for about a day, I feel like I can't live without her.

"It is true Merlin. I bonded with you. It is a very tight bond that not even death can break," I hear Raven whisper in my mind. I smile at that. I don't ever have to be alone again. That makes me feel much better. We put the wood down for the fire, while Arthur and the others skin the rabbits.

"I can't wait to introduce you to Gaius. He is practically my dad with how much he watches out for me," I tell her. She thumps her tail at me, and I smile at her.


	4. Chapter 4

I shiver in the early morning hours, and almost immediately a big heavy body lies on top of me. I crack my eyes open a little, and see Raven's ice blue eyes staring into mine. I blink a few times, before smiling. I can see the smile in her eyes. "Thanks Raven. It was starting to get cold," I mind speak.

"I would do anything for you Merlin. All you need to do is ask," she whispers back. I smile into her beautiful eyes. "You should probably get the fire going, and breakfast started," she whispers in my mind.

"Why do you whisper in my mind?" I ask her mentally.

"Because it would hurt you if I talked normally. My mind voice is very strong," she explains. She gets off of me, so I can stoke the fire. She disappears into the woods, and returns with another rabbit. "Can you cook this for me?" she asks me quietly.

"Of course I will Raven," I tell her. I start the food that the knights and I will eat, before skinning the rabbit for Raven. I finish the task easily, and put it in the coals to cook. The knights are beginning to stir a little.

I watch impatiently, as my rabbit cooks. The food Merlin is making smells great as well, but I need the knights to believe I am a normal wolf. If I show too much interest in porridge, they may suspect me. I growl a little, as the rabbit begins to burn. "Merlin!" I say in a tone just above a whisper. He looks over at me, then at the rabbit. He curses under his breath, and fetches it out of the fire.

"Sorry Raven," he apologizes. I stare at him for a moment, before I lick his cheek. He grins at me, and goes back to the breakfast. I eat the rabbit happily. It is ok, I have had this before. The smell of the porridge is strong even over the rabbit, and I want some.

"Can I try some of that, before the knights wake up?" I whisper through Merlin's mind. He puts some in a bowl, and hides it behind him. I grin wolfishly at that. He has made it so the knights cannot see the bowl, and I can enjoy the porridge.

The flavors explode on my tongue, and I can't get enough of it. I hear Merlin struggling to not laugh. "What is it?" I ask him.

"I can feel how happy that porridge is making you," he explains.

"Well I have never had tasty food. I do not know how to cook with herbs, and neither did my family. So all the food I have ever eaten has been bland," I tell him. I lick the bowl clean, before moving back to the rabbit.

"I'm sorry about that, but you can rest assured that I will make you delicious food whenever you want," Merlin says happily.

"I don't know Merlin. Your food is always questionable," Arthur says sleepily.

"Then why do you always insist that I cook. You also never refuse to eat my food," Merlin teases.

"That is because you have not poisoned me yet," Arthur says, as he gets up. He stretches then looks at Merlin more closely. "What are you even doing up? You are never up before me," Arthur comments.

"Raven got me up," Merlin says, as he points to me.

"You named the wolf, Raven?" Arthur asks.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Merlin asks.

"Nope it has nothing to do with me," Arthur says, as he puts his hands up.

Merlin makes a bowl for himself, and one for Arthur. I watch as they eat, and start rolling up their blankets. I gather some twigs, and toss them onto the fire. Arthur sends Merlin to fetch some water while he tries to strap a harness to my back. I growl at him as he approaches me with the monstrosity. He doesn't take a hint.

I hear Arthur yell, and race back to the camp. Arthur is holding his hand, and the knights have their swords drawn. I see Raven in the middle of the group, with her fangs bared. "He tried to harness me like a horse!" she yells indignantly. "I am no beast of burden for the likes of him," she says more calmly as she meets my eyes.

"Guys back off for a moment," Merlin says hurriedly.

"It attacked the prince," Leon says.

"What did Arthur do to her to make her attack him?" Merlin asks.

"All I tried to do was put this on her, so she can carry the food," Arthur says, as he holds up the harness.

"There you see? She is a wild animal. If you wanted to put that on her you would have to do small steps. She probably thought you were going to hurt her," Merlin explains. Leon thinks about it, before putting his sword away. The other knights follow suit.

"Then who will carry the food? She caught too many rabbits last night," Arthur says in an annoyed voice. With a small huff, each knight grabs a rabbit. I pad over to Arthur, while he is getting his horse ready. I whine a little, and nudge him behind the knee. He jumps a little, but looks down at me.

I lick the hand I bit gently. I didn't draw blood. He is lucky I was not angrier. I tend to lose control when I am angry, but I suppose most people do. Arthur kneels down, and runs his fingers through my fur. I wag my tail. He smiles, and I feel giddy. It is not the same type of attraction, as the one I feel for Merlin. More like a big brother. "You're not so bad you know," he whispers to me.

I lick his cheek, before hurrying back over to Merlin. I jump up, so he lands on his butt. I lick his face like three times. "Easy girl," he says happily.

"Thank you. That could have ended very badly," I whisper to him.

"Well I guess I can protect you in a few things. I can't let you be the hero all the time," he teases. He places a kiss on my forehead, and we both freeze. This is a very awkward position. I step away from him, so he can get up on his horse.

I follow a little behind him, so I do not spook his horse. The rest of the day is uneventful, and we make camp at dusk. I watch the group exchange happy banter. They are close to each other. I can understand why. They go on many trips like this one, and they need to have some humor in their trip. I sneak over to Gawain, and steal the meat off his plate.

He yells, and chases me all over the camp. Everyone is laughing. After about four minutes, I toss the meat into the air. He tries in vain to catch it. It lands in the fire. The group boos, and Gawain tries to get it out. The rest of the night goes undisturbed. I do a quick patrol around the camp, after they have all gone to sleep. Satisfied that there is no danger nearby, I curl up next to Merlin and let sleep take me.


	5. Chapter 5

I get a chill down my spine. I jump up, and look around the camp. I can feel the magic in the air. I sniff out the source, and spot a woman. She reeks of dark magic. My fur stands on end, at the power of the spell she is weaving. I spell at her to bind powers. She stumbles a little, as my magic hits her. She looks around wildly, to see who attacked her. I do not move, and my fur blends with the forest shadows.

Only one who knows exactly where I am would see me. She tries to continue with the spell, but her powers are blocked for a fortnight. I float back to the camp, with how little noise I make. Not even a wizard could hear me. I see that everyone is still asleep in the camp, so I howl. Everyone jumps up in surprise. I walk through them all till I am standing next to Merlin. They relax when they see who it is, and they go about cleaning up the camp. I check the food supplies, before grabbing a basket, and taking off into the woods.

I just stare after Raven. Somehow she seems on edge. I have no way to know for sure unless she opens up her mind to me. I start breakfast, while the others get the horses ready. Out of no wheres a basket appears next to me. I flinch, and look at Raven. She is watching the woods, and almost drops the basket in the fire. I catch it just in time. She wonders around the camp aimlessly sniffing the air and ground. I feel as if someone dropped ice down the back of my shirt. Why is she acting like that? I open the basket, and find berries of all kinds.

I put them into the porridge, and stir it. When the knights sit down for breakfast, they all comment on it. I watch as Raven continues to pace around the camp. It is odd, and somehow very unlike her. I know I only just met her, but this behavior is troubling me. I eat quickly, and clean up. She is making me want to leave this place.

I move so fast that I am ready to go even when the knights are still eating. I wait impatiently, as they finish. I can hear a slight whisper in the back of my mind and Raven's magic doubles tenfold. As the force of her magic hits me the whispers disappear. "Do not listen to those words Merlin, they will poison you," she whispers in my mind. She sounds almost feverish.

"Raven, please tell me what is wrong," I plead with her mentally. She looks over at me.

"Get them to hurry up! We need to move, now!" she snaps. I get a slight headache, which feels stressed. I shake my head, and mount up.

"Guys can we get a move on please," I snap at the knights. They just look at me.

"What's got your panties in a bunch?" Arthur asks.

I point at Raven who is whining, and pacing around the camp. At the sight of her they hurry, and mount up as well. Raven takes off into the woods, and I follow after her. She is a little difficult to follow, but she starts to bark. Not a friendly bark either. She bursts out of the brush, and into a clearing. "Stop, Merlin! Approach slowly," she says in a stressed tone. I dismount, and creep forward. She is standing in front of a gate, and just on the other side is Morgana.

I cannot let the witch near Merlin right now. She is planning to take Merlin out of the equation. With him out of the way, she can get at Arthur easier. She tries to blast me with magic, and it bounces back at her. She hits the grounds, just as the knights come rushing into the clearing. They draw their swords, when they see her.

I relax, when she runs. I can retract my magic from Merlin now. I hide my magic, and Merlin comes out of the bushes. "I apologize for snapping at you earlier," I murmur sleepily. It always takes a toll on me when I spread my magic that far.

"It is alright, get some sleep," Merlin says. Yeah sleep sounds pretty good right now. He picks me up, and places me across the saddle of his horse. That is the last thing I remember.

"Is she going to be alright Merlin?" Gawain asks.

"Yeah, I think Morgana cast a spell on her that is all. She just needs to rest," I tell him. I blink for a few minutes as Gawain places a gentle hand on Raven's head. I did not realize that they liked her at all.

"If she had not heard Morgana, who knows what would have happened," Arthur says.

"So I can definitely keep her then?" I ask Arthur.

"I suppose Merlin, but do not let her be a reason you slack on your chores," he says simply. I grin at him happily. We pass through the gate, and quickly come to the sunken castle. Only it is no longer under water, but merely surrounded by it. I cannot help, but to stare. It is beautiful. I glance over at Raven. She is still asleep.

"Let's look for a boat or something," Arthur suggests.

I look around a little nervously. There are reports about magical creatures hanging around. We would have been attacked by now, if they were here. I keep an eye out. "Over here Arthur!" Percival yells. He is pulling a boat closer to shore. I see something deep under the water move. It is too big to be a normal fish.

I rush into the water, and keep pace alongside Percival. The serpent stays away, because of my magic. There are few creatures in this world that are dumb enough to try attacking a shifter. Only witches and wizards think they are strong enough to take us on. I keep Percival safe as he pulls the boat up.

I can feel Merlin's eyes on me. If I was human I would be blushing right now, although I do feel a little hot. Good thing I am in the water. Everyone gets in the boat, and Merlin indicates that he wants me on his lap. I feel my temperature rise a few more degrees, but I hop onto his lap. He hugs me, and buries his face in my warm fur.

"I wasn't sure you were going to be ok," he whispers to me mentally. I lick his cheek.

"Merlin I am much more difficult to hurt then you," I whisper back to him.


	6. Chapter 6

I hug her closer to me. She smells like magic. I don't know any other way to explain it. It is a deep and ancient scent. Her scent makes me feel like I have wings, and can fly anywhere. Odd how just her scent can make my stomach get all knotted. "You know Merlin, the knights are staring at you funny," she whispers delicately in my mind. I open my eyes, and smile.

"Are you alright Merlin?" Arthur asks me.

"Of course I am, why?" I ask him back.

"You are sniffing a wolf," is all he says. I watch as they all start chuckling a little. I turn away from them, and hide my face in her coat again. "Does she smell that good?" Gawain asks.

The boat shifts as he stands up to sniff Raven as well. "Arthur the wolf actually smells really good," Gawain admits.

"Merlin," Raven whispers shyly. The boat moves a little more as all of them sniff her.

"Alright so she smells good, but let's not makes a habit out of this," Arthur says.

"We're almost there, Arthur. We can make camp when we land," Percival says.

I look over Merlin's shoulder at the castle. It looks almost like it floating. I do not like the magical signatures coming from that castle. It feels like several wyverns, a dragon, and a couple of gryphons. Scratch that a very young dragon, and an old one. It must be bigger then it appears. "Merlin can you feel the creatures in that castle?" I whisper.

"No I can't. What's in there?" he asks.

"Two dragons, a handful of gryphon's, and about an army of wyverns," I tell him. He takes a sharp breathe. "Relax young one, I am here to keep you safe. And I can tell that the dragons do not mean any harm," I assure him. I feel the anger in the dragons, before they take off into the sky. They move quickly away from the castle.

"What could have scared off two dragons?" Merlin whispers in my mind.

"Whatever it is I do not wish to meet it," I tell him. We land, and everyone gets off the boat. I can't stop pacing. Something in the air is calling to magical creatures. "Merlin I will be back, I need to check on something," I tell him. I do not wait for a reply. I need to answer that call.

I watch as she takes off into the ruins. I help set up camp. I hope she is alright; I have a bad feeling about her being alone in this castle.

I peek around a corner. There is nothing in this room. It's just a big open room, but why do I feel I need to be here? I step in, and the creatures here come into view. Of course there would be a shield here. They would need one to stay alive. This must have been where the dragons took off from. All of the wyverns hiss at me, but they back away. There! In the center of the room is a glowing light.

It's coming from the sky. I get closer to it. 'Hello Raven' a whispery voice says. I shift, and look around. 'Thank you for that burst of magic' it whispers.

"What is your name, and where are you?" I ask. I do not like this at all.

'I am one with no name, and every name. I am nowhere and everywhere' it says. All the creatures make some noise.

"How did you get here? One as old as you would not just choose to come to an abandoned castle," I say.

'I heard the call of a witch, and decided I wanted to stretch my legs a little. However someone stopped the spell before it was completed' the voice whispers.

"Why have you gathered these poor creatures to you?" I ask.

'I need magic to feed off of. The dragons did not like me feeding off of them, and they left. You too have the strength to leave, but these other lesser creatures have no choice. I smell a warlock here as well. Perhaps I shall taste his magic as well. If he is your master then he must be very strong indeed' the voice hisses.

I growl in my human form. I cut off all my magic, so it can have none of it. "If you so much as look at him wrong I will send you back to where you came from!" I scream at it.

'You do not have the power!' it hisses.

"You know what I am. You know where my magic comes from, and you know that it is limitless," I tell it simply.

'Fine you wretched mutt! I will not touch you, or your precious master! I will however enjoy my fill of these beasts, before I take my shape' it hisses.

I walk out of the room, before I shift again. I can feel a slight tug, before the pull on me disappears entirely. I hurry back to Merlin, so I can eat. Why would Morgana try to summon such a creature she cannot control? It makes no sense. She is the type of person who always needs to be in control. No way could she have known what she was trying to bring into this world. I find Merlin sitting awake, waiting for me. I feel so happy that I rush over to him.


	7. Chapter 7

It feels like I have won a battle, but I have simply insured Merlin's safety. I can already tell that it is going to take a lot to keep him safe. I wriggle under the blanket with him, and he hugs me close. "What happened?" he asks me quietly.

"Do not leave my side until we are away from this place Merlin," I say sleepily.

"What if I need to use the bathroom?" he asks.

"Tell me, and I will accompany you," I tell him seriously.

"Goodnight Raven," he says with a yawn.

I wait until his breathing slows, before I turn over to face him. He is absolutely handsome, when he is asleep. I rest my head on his arm, so that I will wake up if he gets up. I close my eyes, and sleep takes me in waves.

"We're under attack!" Arthur yells. I jump up, and Raven follows suit. All over the place there are wyverns, and gryphons. They are in the air, and on the ground. I crouch low to the ground. Raven stays directly next to me. I feel comforted by her presence. Out of the corner of my eye I see a bright light. I look at it, and see a girl walking towards me.

The closer it comes the more I can see it is not a girl or a boy. "Hello Merlin," it whispers. Its voice is a mixture of a girl's and a boy's. I shiver uncontrollably at the power coming off of it in waves. It raises a sword, and moves to slice me. I can't move. I am frozen to the spot with fear. What is this thing?

"Get out of the way Merlin!" Raven's voice yells. Out of nowhere she is in front of me, and bleeding profusely.

"No! Raven are you alright?" I ask.

The strange creature moves to attack again, and I raise my hand. Power fills me up, and blasts the creature. It disintegrates, with a terrible shriek. The power seeps out of me, and I have hard time breathing. "What the hell was that?" I ask Raven. I do not get an answer. She is lying very still on the ground. I can feel the tears start streaming down my cheeks, but I cannot stop them.

I crawl over to her. She is still breathing, but only just. "Merlin are you alright?" Arthur asks.

"It's Raven! She's hurt!" I yell back at him.

"She is just a mutt Merlin!" he yells.

I have one of the wyverns swoop down towards him. I rip my shirt open and tie it around the gash in her side. "Merlin?" I hear her faint voice in my mind.

"Yeah Raven. I'm right here," I whisper to her.

"In my bag, there is medicine," she murmurs. She sounds confused, and in pain. I only just got her, and I will not lose her.

"I can heal you with magic," I suggest.

"No, magic does not work on shifters," she says quietly.

I crawl over to her bag, and drag it back to her. She tells me the medicines I need to mix, and how much of each. "Now Merlin, I need to rub that into the wound," she whispers weakly.

"I don't know if I can do that Raven," I say squeamishly.

"I am sorry Merlin, but I need you to do this," she says softly.

I move the wrapping to the side, take a deep breath, get a handful of the medicine, and rub it into the wound. She cringes, but doesn't make a sound. I can see that the bleeding stops almost immediately. This is some really good medicine. She must have passed out, by the time I am done rubbing in the medicine. She is barely moving. It scares me a little, but I need to focus. The fighting around me has stopped.

I look up from Raven, and see that all of the knights are watching me. "What is it?" I ask them curiously.

"Arthur was also wounded. Perhaps that amazing medicine will help him?" Percival asks.

Out of nowhere, the knowledge of what mix for a human pops into my mind. I glance down at Raven for a moment, before standing up with her bag. "Stay with her Percival," I tell him. He nods, while I hurry over to Arthur.

I rinse off my hands first, before I start mixing the herbs. Arthurs wound isn't as bad as Raven's was. It is bad enough that he passed out from the blood loss. I finish mixing the herbs, and start to rub it into the wound. Arthur screams out loud at the first touch. "Hold him down!" I tell the knights. They hurry to comply. I rub this mixture in as fast as possible.

I do not like the noises coming out of Arthur's mouth. "Why is he making those noises?" Gawain asks me.

"He is not used to the herbs of my people. They burn, but they work. We learn to deal with the pain at a young age, because shifter fight with each other a lot," Raven's voice whispers through my mind like a butterflies wing, Soft, gentle, and barely there.

"He is not used to these herbs. They burn, but they disinfect the wound, and slow the bleeding. He will get used to it until we reach Camelot. Then Gaius can take care of him," I say simply.

"Should we look for the treasure?" Gawain asks.

"If you guys want to go look for the treasure, I won't stop you. I want to stay with Raven, and Arthur. I will need one of you to stay here to fight," I tell him.

They look at each other, and Sir Leon sits next to me on the ground, between Arthur and Raven. "So just the two of us until those fools get back, huh?" I ask.

"I think we should head back right now," Sir Leon says simply.

"What do you want to do until they get back?" I ask.

"I do not want to do anything. Just be quiet, so I can listen for attacks," he snaps at me. I turn towards Raven, and stroke her fur. It is soft as always, and I go into a kind of trance. Something about her just relaxes me.

"I need you calm, Merlin. If you start freaking out, we will all be in danger," Raven murmurs sleepily in my mind. I smile at her half open eyes. She is looking at me with such adorable eyes. I run a finger over one of them. She sighs in my mind as; she drifts away from consciousness again.

The others come back, with the news of no treasure. We all get into the boat again, and Percival rows us back to our horses. I rest my head lightly on Raven's shoulder. All too soon we hit the land again, and we all get out. I carry Raven to my horse, place her gently over the saddle, mount up, and race off towards Camelot.

I can hear the knights behind me, but I cannot stop. I need to get her to Gaius. I barely stop to rest. I reach Camelot the next morning. Who knows where the knights are, but I have to see Gaius. I carry her into my room, and cover her up with my blanket. I hear the door burst open, and the knights talking about where to place Arthur. I ignore them, and lean in close to Raven's ear.

"It's safe for you to shift if it will make you more comfortable," I whisper to her.

She is human before I finish the sentence. I just stare at her sleeping face. Even weak as she is, she is beautiful. I wait until I hear Gaius in the other room. "Where is Merlin?" he asks the knights.

"I know not. He took off when we landed with the horses," Percival says simply.

"He is not here?" Gawain asks. "With how fast he was riding I would have thought he would be here already," he explains to Gaius.

"I have not seen him. I have been gathering herbs, and this is the first time I have been in," Gaius says in a worried tone of voice. I can see him bent over Arthur, while he worries about me. I tuck the covers closer around Raven.

"What was put on the wound?" Gaius asks.

"I do not know. Merlin put some herbal mixture on that burned Arthur," Elyan says simply.

"Merlin put this on?" Gaius asks in surprise.

"What is it?" Sir Leon asks.

"The herbs used to make this paste are not found in this area," Gaius explains.

"And where are these herbs found?" Elyan asks.

"Beyond the furthest of the five kingdoms," Gaius explains.

"Has Merlin ever been that far from Camelot?" Gawain asks.

"Even if he had, he would never have known what these herbs looked like, or how to prepare them. These herbs are usually very deadly. If they are not stored and dried properly Arthur would be dead already," Gaius says simply. "He will be fine, take him to his chambers, and have a servant take care of him. At least until Merlin shows up," Gaius says easily.

I brush a few strands of hair out of Raven's face. I hear my bedroom door open, and peek over my shoulder at Gaius. He comes closer at the sight of Raven. "Is she alright?" he asks me.

"She needs treatment Gaius. I did what she told me to do with the herbs, but she hasn't woken up recently. I'm getting nervous," I tell him honestly.

"Well you go get something for her to wear, while I take a look at her," he says.

"Gaius if anyone asks, she is a wolf," I tell him before leaving.

"Now let's see what the damage is," I hear an older voice say. I open my eyes, and see an old man leaning over me. I jerk away from him, and wince at the pain in my side. "Be still young one. I am not going to hurt you," he says soothingly.

"Where did Merlin go?" I ask him. I feel like my throat is on fire. "Merlin?" I whisper to him.

"Raven, are you alright?" he asks me back.

"Where are you?" I ask him.


	8. Chapter 8

"Getting you something to wear, I will be right back. Let Gaius help you," he says soothingly.

"Are you Gaius?" I ask the old man leaning over me.

"Yes child. I am a physician, I can help," he says seriously.

"I am no child, so please do not treat me as such. I am about the same age as Merlin," I tell him. I bite my lip, as he pokes a particularly sensitive spot.

"How do you know of these herbs?" he asks me.

"I need not tell a stranger my secrets," I tell him.

"I am no stranger," he says.

"This is the first time we have met. Not to mention, I am naked, and wounded. I will not trust you unless Merlin thinks you are trustworthy," I tell him. I hear the outer door slam open, and Merlin comes rushing in. I feel better the moment my eyes land on his smiling face.

"Sorry I wasn't here sooner. I actually had to pay for the dress," Merlin says happily.

"I should hope you would not steal Merlin," Gaius says seriously.

I make a sour face, as Gaius wipes the last of my herbs from my wound. I can feel it oozing. That is bad. I try to look at the wound, but Gaius stops me. "It is not infected. I just need to stitch it closed so that it will heal appropriately. You will probably have a scar," Gaius tells me.

"Are you sure there is no infection?" I ask him.

"Absolutely, Merlin applied the herbs in time," Gaius says. I relax on the bed, and wait for Gaius to start stitching it up. "Would you drink this please?" Gaius asks me.

"No can you just get started please?" I ask him.

A few minutes later he lightly touches the wound. I take deep breathes, as he pushes the needle through the flesh. I wince a little at the bite, but that is all. I have had worse done to me, so I have nothing to complain about. He finishes up quickly, and puts an herbal paste over the stitches to fight infection. In all my years, I have learned that an infection is the number one killer.

"She will be fine Merlin, so help her get into the night gown," Gaius says before leaving. I sit up, and cross my arms. I may be used to being naked, but it feels more personal with Merlin. He doesn't look at me. I put my arms through the holes, and he lets it go gently.

"Thanks Merlin, I am covered now. Though I will need more dresses. I will not be able to shift again until the stitches come out, so I cannot walk around in a night gown," I explain simply.

"I have an idea, so let me get you a cloak," he says before disappearing out the door.

"Who is that girl, Merlin?" Gaius asks me.

"She is a friend, Gaius," I tell him stubbornly.

"How did she get that wound? That is a very serious injury," he asks.

"She got it saving my life, because I was frozen with fear," I tell him simply.

"Why, should anyone ask after her, am I to tell them she is a wolf?" he asks.

"When we were with the knights, she was a wolf. She shifted into a girl, when I told her it was safe," I explain.

"Merlin, you must have bumped your head," he tries to tell me.

I do not have time for this. I grab my cloak, and hurry back into the room. She is sitting patiently on the bed. I wrap the cloak around her shoulders, and she smiles up at me. "It smells like you," she murmurs. My heart rate picks up, but I pretend I didn't hear her.

"You are going to need shoes as well," I say out loud.

"I have some in my bag," she says simply. I hand her bag to her, and watch as she digs out a pair of simple shoes. I look at them curiously. They look very thin. "They are stronger then they appear Merlin," she tells me with a small smile. I cannot help, but to smile back.

"Alright let's go," I tell her.

"Where are we going?" she asks me. I smile at the way she is looking at me. Her ice blue eyes shining and her head tilted slightly to the side.

"I am going to ask a friend of mine to make a few dresses for you. You may even be able to stay with her," I tell her.

Her eyes go stormy, and all amusement leaves her face. "I am staying with you Merlin. That is the arrangement," she says fiercely. I see her want to change, but the stitches in her side are keeping her human.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting. You seem so human right now," I apologize.

"We need it to be like that, or we would not survive," she says simply. She frowns slightly, and holds her arms out to me.

"What?" I ask curiously.

"If I try to stand up without assistance, I might pull the stitches," she says shyly.

I hide my face in his neck, as he actually picks me up! I am so embarrassed. He gently places my feet on the floor, and helps me out of his room. I hang onto his arm. Not because I need it, but because I like being so close to him. He leads me through the castle, and into the lower town.

"Do you trust this friend of yours Merlin?" I ask him.

"Absolutely," he says. He pauses in front of a door, and knocks.

"Just one minute," a kind voice says from inside. The door opens to show a wild haired girl. Her skin is a warm mocha color, and her eyes are a lovely dancing brown. I want to like her, but I need to make sure she is not a threat to Merlin first. "Hello Merlin. Please come in," she says a little breathlessly.

I can smell the excitement in the air. I can also smell that Prince Arthur was here. I smile kindly at her, as she frowns slightly at me. "Who's this Merlin?" she asks.

"This is Raven, and I was hoping you could make her a few dresses," he says simply.

"It's nice to meet you Raven. My name is Gwen," she says sweetly, as she shakes my hand.

"Hi," is all I say. Until I get used to her, I do not want to be too friendly. It is hard to hate her, because those eyes are so innocent.

"Well then Merlin you should go outside, and wait," Gwen says.

"No! He should sit in the back room," I say quickly. "I mean it is very cold outside," I try to blow off my quick response. She is still looking at me like I am crazy, but she waves Merlin into the backroom.

"So let's get you out of those clothes, so I can measure you," she says with a smile.


	9. Chapter 9

I get undressed easily, but stiffly. I know she is looking at the wound in my side, but I do not care. I let her measure me. Once she is done, she helps me back into the night gown. "I should have one for you tomorrow. The rest will take a bit of time," Gwen says happily. I stop for a minute, with my back to her. I can feel Merlin's eyes on me, and I look at him over my shoulder. He blushes bright red, and disappears behind the curtain.

I can barely breathe! I thought with what Gwen was saying that they were done. I feel my face getting hotter. She has such a beautiful body. I cover my mouth to keep from making any noise. What was even scarier was that she saw me. The heated look in her eyes was scary. It was almost like she would eat me up, if she was a wolf. "What is it?" I hear Gwen ask.

"Nothing I thought I heard a noise," Raven says simply. "It was probably nothing," she says as an excuse.

"You can come out now Merlin," Gwen says. I can hear the smile in her voice. I stand up, and come back out into the room. Raven is wrapping the cloak around her shoulders. I blush a little just looking at her. Man what is wrong with me? Why does my stomach feel funny every time she looks at me with those icy eyes? Am I getting sick?

"Now Merlin, do be a gentle man tonight," Gwen says with a small smile.

"What do you mean?" I ask in confusion.

"She is just a girl Merlin. You must be gentle," she says with a hint of laughter in her voice. I feel my face burn, as I finally get what she is talking about.

"Guinevere!" he yells. He hurries from the house. I look at the smile on Gwen's face, and I cannot stop the similar smile from spreading across mine.

"That should keep him out of trouble for awhile," she whispers to me.

"Does he get in trouble a lot?" I ask her.

"Not as much as Arthur, but they do cause a lot of mayhem," she says with a smile.

"The prince is quiet handsome. Wouldn't you agree?" I ask with a slight touch on her arm. I am not very good at human expressions. She blushes, and sputters a little. "I'll be staying with Gaius. Just let me know when the dresses are done," I tell her simply, before walking out. Merlin is waiting for me outside.

"I didn't mean to look," he says immediately. I giggle a little.

"Relax Merlin, I understand. I was not upset. I was a little self conscious. However I am a shifter, I grew up in a village where half the people walked around naked, and the other half were wolves. I am used to nudity," I explain.

"Where is the village where you were born?" he asks curiously.

"Why so you can see all of the naked women, you peeping tom?" I tease. His face heats up. I cannot keep a straight face. "I am just kidding. It is far beyond the reach of you young one," I say simply.

"How old are you?" he asks. Clearly he is not thinking at all anymore.

"Merlin, if you wish to live another year, I suggest you never ask another woman how old she is," I tell him seriously.

"Sorry, I was just curios, because you called me young one," he says shyly. I can hear him at the edges of my mind. He is furious with himself for forgetting himself so many times tonight.

"I am just a few months older than you. Knowledge is passed down through families. I know everything my ancestors knew," I tell him simply.

"So do you get taught or does the knowledge just come to you?" he asks.

It sort of floats around, and when I need it, it is there for me to use. It is a very useful technique for us shifters. It allows us to keep our intelligence as wolves," I tell him.

"What is it like to run as a wolf?" he asks me.

"The first time I shifted, it was like flying. I felt like my feet never touched the ground. Perhaps when you get a chance I can show you," I tell him simply.

"What do you mean?" he asks curiously.

"Being a creature of magic, mine has no end. I can do things with a thought, which you would have to study for hours. It is something I grew up doing. My pack used the method to hunt. I can share my thoughts with you," I tell him.

"That sounds so cool," he says a little breathlessly.

"Why have you not told Gaius that I am a shifter?" I ask him.

"That information should be shared at your discretion," he says.

"Thank you, you're so sweet Merlin," I tease him.

"I believe I am supposed to be a gentleman," he says playfully, as he holds his arm out for me. I blush slightly, before wrapping my arms around it and leaning my head on him.

I can already feel my face flushing. I did not think she would actually do it. I walk a little slower, so I can enjoy the way this feels. I like having her pressed against my side like this. I look down at her head. Her thick black hair is shining in the light from the torches. "Merlin!" I hear Arthur yell from behind me.

I stop walking, and turn to face him. He pauses for a moment when he sees Raven hanging off of my arm. "Yes Prince Arthur?" I ask in annoyance.

"Have you gone mad?" he asks seriously.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," he says simply. I watch as Prince Arthur studies Merlin. Then I see those eyes land on me, and I shiver at the look he is giving me.

"Who is your friend?" he asks Merlin.

"Entirely none of your business, that is who," Merlin says snottily.

I giggle at the horrified look on Arthurs face. His eyes shoot daggers at me, and I shoot them back. He actually takes a step back. "I will see you bright and early tomorrow morning," Merlin says to Arthur, before walking away. I giggle again. The look on the prince's face was absolutely priceless. "I don't know why, but I do not want to share you with anyone," Merlin says under his breath.

"Good, because I refuse to share you," I tell him simply, as we enter Gaius's room.

"You go to sleep in there. I will sleep out here tonight," Merlin says to me.

"Such the gentle man," I tell him teasingly, before giving him a kiss on the cheek, and disappearing silently into the room.


	10. Chapter 10

"Now Merlin will you tell me who your lovely friend was last night?" Arthur asks me. I give him a shy smile.

"I still have no idea what you are talking about," I tell him simply.

"She was far too pretty to be attracted to a buffoon like you. Did you pay her? If you did Merlin that is low," Arthur continues to degrade me. I try to ignore him, while I scrub his armor. Maybe I should have stayed in bed today.

"Now, Raven you must eat," Gaius says as he sets a bowl of food in front of me. I look from the bowl to Gaius. "Now is not the time to distrust me. Merlin ate the same thing this morning," Gaius says simply. I look down at the bowl. It smells delicious, but I do not want it.

"Merlin trusts you?" I ask.

"I hope so, because it would have gotten awkward ages ago. Please eat," he pleads.

"Do you have someplace to be?" I ask.

"I would like to go gather herbs," he tells me.

"Let me come with you," I tell him.

"Can I trust you?" He asks.

"Anyone that cares for Merlin the way you do is alright. I will not hurt you," I say easily.

"Very well, get some shoes and a cloak. I will wait for you, but when we get back you will eat something," he says.

I nod at him. "Merlin?" I mentally project.

"Yes?" he responds.

"I am going with Gaius into the woods. I will help him gather some herbs. I will tell him while we are out there," I tell him. I can feel the joy coursing through the bond. "Tell the clotpole you were drunk, and do not remember anything at all about last night," I suggest.

"I shall try. Have a good time," he says almost forlornly. I wrap Merlin's cloak around my shoulders, and take a deep breath. I love how it smells so strongly of him. I pull my shoes on, and grab my bag. I hurry out to find Gaius waiting patiently.

"Sorry, I wanted to let Merlin know where I was going," I tell him.

"Raven, Merlin went to tend to Prince Arthur today as always. He is not here," he says simply.

"I will tell you all about it when we reach the forest Gaius. Just know that if you betray me I will not forgive you. If you betray Merlin I will kill you," I tell him with a sad smile. We walk out of the city, and into the woods. I start to gather some of the common herbs that Gaius is collecting.

"What did you plan to tell me?" he asks.

"Have you ever heard off shifters Gaius?" I ask.

"Only a rare rumor that they are very dangerous, and can take the form of any animal they choose. Why do you want to know?" he asks.

"As I thought, your knowledge of them if biased, and false," I say.

"What do you mean? Do you know more about them?" he asks.

"Of course I do, because I am a shifter Gaius," I tell him. I can feel his fear from a few feet away. "We are ancient, and born from magic. Our power runs so deep it never goes away. We bond with only one witch or wizard in our lifetime. Our job is to keep these people safe from harm. We generally do not die, but if we are injured badly it takes time to heal. I cannot shift with these stitch in my side, so I am defenseless," I tell him.

"So you have bonded to Merlin?" he asks. I look at him, and see the interest shining in his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

"Yes, it is my job to keep him safe. Earlier I told him where we were going, with my mind. I can speak to him mentally anywhere," I tell him.

"How very fascinating," he murmurs. I reach for a hemlock leaf. "That's poisonous," he says, almost like it is a habit of his. I look at him for a moment, before plucking a few leaves. "Raven?" he asks.

"I know a way to prepare them, so that they can be used for healing rather than killing," I tell him simply.

"Will you never cease to amaze me?" he asks. We continue to gather herbs. Most of what I gather he says is poisonous, but I do not intend to give them to any human. Poison is a coward's weapon. I am a noble creature formed by pure magic, and I will never resort to a coward's method of killing someone.

I run around like an idiot, just so Arthur can have a moving target. What is wrong with this picture? I grind my teeth, as another arrow hits the shield. I hat doing this. I get a mental picture of Raven, and that makes me feel loads better. I smile to myself at the memory of her naked. It makes my stomach do summersaults.

I can feel Merlin thinking about me, and I smile at the feelings coming through the bond. I follow Gaius back to the castle. He goes off somewhere to tend to some sick people. I sit on the edge of a stool with the bowl of food sitting in front of me. As a human I cannot follow Merlin around. I play with the food, but I am not hungry. The door behind me opens, and in comes Gawain. He collapses on the floor. He reeks of spirits, and blood.

I can see the blood oozing out of his upper arm. I roll him over onto his back, and rip the shirt up to the shoulder. I can see that it is from a blade. I lean close to it, and sniff. I catch a whiff of poison, and recoil back from the acrid scent. I quickly clean the wound, before putting together the antidote, and wrapping some gauze around it. I tie it tight to keep it from bleeding more. He groans, and opens his eyes.

"Gaius? Have you seen Gaius?" he asks.

"Shh. It is alright, I have taken care of the wound," I tell him. He looks closer at me. I can see his eyes getting clearer as the antidote starts working.

"And who are you?" he asks.

"A niece of Gaius's, I am following in his footsteps. I want to be a physician," I tell him.

"But you are so young," he says I a daze.

"I am far older then I look, I am sure. Can you stand?" I ask him.

"Can you help me?" he asks.

"I shall try, but do not think that I will be able to catch you if you fall," I tell him.


	12. Chapter 12

"That will be quite alright," he says with a small laugh. I help him as best I can to the bed. He sits gratefully on the bed, and I help him to lie down. "I have never seen one as beautiful as you," he says. I can practically smell the testosterone coming off of him in waves. I wrinkle my nose a little.

"Get some sleep sir, you will need rest to help you heal," I tell him before walking away.

I return to the table to pick at the food some more. I can feel Merlin at the edges of my mind. He is at ease, and peaceful. I think about the scent that was rolling off of Gawain. It's not that he has a bad smell. His scent tells of a strong, fit male in his prime, everything that a wolf looks for in a good mate. My animal half appreciates that, but being a shifter I know that he is not the right one for me.

I think about Merlin's scent. It is rich and exotic. It dances and changes with the wind. His scent is like him, mysterious. It calls to my magic, with almost equally strong magic. He is what is sought after by all shifters as the ideal mate. I blush at the thought. I do not think he would ever go for me like that though. I can feel him getting closer, and I can't help the goofy smile I get.

He comes in with Gaius, and they are whispering fervently. I stay in the corner, playing with the food. Hopefully they will not notice me too soon. I do not Gaius to yell at me for not eating. They stop when they hear Gawain in the other room. "Who was that?" Merlin asks.

"I do not know," Gaius says, before looking at me.

"It's Gawain. He got into a fight down in the pub, and got stabbed with a poisoned knife. I fixed him up, but he needs time to heal," I say simply.

"How did you know the blade was poisoned?" Gaius asks.

"I could smell it," I tell him.

"Why have you not eaten anything?" Gaius asks.

I can't help the growl that comes out. He just raises an eyebrow at me. "I am not used to this kind of food. It smells unappealing," I tell him. Merlin goes over to a cabinet, and pulls out a little sack. He sets it down on the table, and takes my bowl away. He does something to it, and I start to like the smell. He then places the bowl in front of me again.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It is a little fat from a pig that Arthur killed yesterday. I mixed it in with the porridge Gaius makes. I think you will like it much better now," he says with a smile.

"Merlin why would she like that?" Gaius asks.

"Gaius, most of the time she is a wolf, She likes strong smells, and tastes. With the pork fat in the porridge, it will give it the rich scent, and flavor she is used to," Merlin explains.

"You learned all of that since we met?" I ask.

"Yeah, I noticed which things you liked the best that I made. It let me know what you like, and what you wouldn't even want to look at. I also warmed it up a little so the fat is nice and juicy," he says.

My body heats up with the consideration he is showing me. I pick up the spoon, and taste the porridge now. The flavor explodes on my tongue. The richness of pork fat mellowed down slightly by the porridge. It is very good, and I close my eyes. I can hear Merlin chuckle a little, and without looking I make a chair come under him.

I yelp in surprise as a chair knocks into the back of my knees, and I plop down in it. Gaius laughs a little. "It's going to be much more interesting with both of you here together," he says. He goes in to check on Gawain. I watch as she slowly eats the porridge. It is so fascinating that she loves rich food. Behind me the door bursts open, and in strides Arthur.

"Merlin! Oh, hello," he says when he sees me sitting with Raven.

"Hi," is all she says, before returning to her porridge.

"Who are you?" he asks her. She frowns slightly, and looks longingly at her porridge. I cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

"Gaius's niece, I am here to study under him. I wish to be as good a healer as him," she tells the prince. He comes over, and sits at the table with her. I feel a little annoyed.

"I have never heard him speak of you," he says oddly.

"Is my uncle required to tell you all of his secrets?" she asks him. He blushes brightly.

"Of course not," he says.

"Well there you go. He did not feel it was necessary to tell you he had a sister with a daughter," she snaps. She picks up her spoon again, and starts to eat.

"Why are you talking to me like that?" he asks in an annoyed voice.

"Because I am trying to eat, and you keep talking to me you annoying prat," she snaps. I burst out laughing. I cannot stop because I called Arthur the exact same thing.

"I think you have been around Merlin too long," he says decisively. "Perhaps you would like to join me for dinner tonight? I am sure you will enjoy the food our chef makes," he says with a pointed look at the porridge.

"Sorry I can't, Merlin's taking me out for a midnight stroll," she tells him.

Arthur looks at me, and frowns. "That'll be a little hard for him to do since he is serving me tonight in the great hall," Arthur says simply.

Raven looks over at me as well with a sad look on her face. I not to her slightly, and she sighs. "Very well prince Arthur, I will accompany you," she says with a frown.


	13. Chapter 13

"I don't want to Merlin," I say a little upset.

"But you told the prince you would go," he argues. I frown on the stool as Gwen bustles around me.

"I get that, but why do I have to wear makeup? You know Merlin I have never once had to bother with makeup," I snap and Gwen taps my head.

"Stop moving," she warns. I stick my tongue out at her, but stop moving when she glares at me.

I watch as Gwen applies makeup to raven's face. It slowly changes, and becomes more adult like. I suppose that is the purpose of makeup. "Where did you get all the makeup Gwen?" I ask.

"I borrowed it from the lady Morgana," she says simply without looking at me.

"Does he know you borrowed it?" I ask her.

"No, and I will have it back before she notices," she snaps.

I watch how Merlin and Gwen interact with each other, and I can't stop the slow smile from spreading. "What are you smiling about?" Gwen asks.

"You two are like siblings with the way you tease each other," I explain. They laugh at that, but they do not try to deny it.

"You notice things easily huh?" Gwen asks.

I attempt a shrug without moving my head, and fail miserably. I hate human gestures, but I need them on occasion. Gwen steps back with a pleased smile on her face. "Out you go Merlin; you need to start serving soon. I will bring her down when I am done," Gwen says happily.

"I will see you shortly," he says to me, and I give him a small smile.

"Now to get you into a better dress, and do something with this wild mane of yours," she says as Merlin closes the door on his way out.

I glance at the door for the tenth time. What is taking those girls so long? I pour more wine for the king. The door opens, and in walks Raven. If I did not know any better I would swear that she was a princess. I hear a fork hit the floor, and look at the look on the faces of Arthur, Uther, and Morgana. They are clearly as stunned by Raven's beauty as I am.

Shyly Raven walks toward Prince Arthur. He jumps up from his seat and pulls out the chair next to him. I watch as she blushes, and takes a seat. "Arthur, who is this lovely lady?" Uther asks.

"This is the young girl I told you would be joining us tonight," Arthur says absentmindedly.

"This is Gaius's niece?" Uther asks. He sounds surprised, but I do not blame him. She looks like she could be of royal birth. Although I know nothing of her pack, she very well could be a princess, if shifters had royalty?

"That is right your majesty," she says simply, but with a hint of respect. She does not like royalty that much then.

"Tell me, what is your name? Arthur failed to mention that when he informed me that we would have a guest at dinner tonight," King Uther asks.

I glance over at Merlin, and blush a little. He is staring so intently at me that I can actually feel it. "My name is Grace," I tell the king.

"And we are indeed graced by your presence. Please enjoy whatever you want," the king says happily. He snaps at Merlin who jumps. He hurries over to me, and bends down so he can hear what I want.

"You look amazing," he whispers in my ear, as he puts food on my plate. I blush at his words. He steps away after he is done, and I look down at the food he put on my plate. I like everything on it, but how did he know?

"Because we are psychically linked I can read a little of your mind. It is hard though. You like to keep your thoughts shielded," he whispers to me mentally. I look at him, and smile. I put my walls up higher so he can't read anything. He frowns a little before shaking his head at me.

"So Grace, why had Gaius never spoken of you to me?" the king asks.

"Is he supposed to share all of his secrets with you?" I ask. I see Arthur chuckle a little.

"No I suppose he does not have to," the king agrees.

"Then he did not feel it was necessary to tell you he had a niece," I tell him simply.

"I never thought of it like that. Tell me do I know your parents?" the king asks.

"Father, please stop interrogating my guest," Arthur complains.

"No your majesty you have never laid eyes or ears upon my family aside from Gaius," I tell him. I watch as he chews that a bit.

"You haven't touched your food yet Grace," the lady Morgana says. Arthur looks at me to makes sure I am alright. I pick up my fork, and nudge a piece of ham. It smells amazing, but I don't feel hungry. I cut a small piece, and chew it. It is good, but I will probably not eat anymore after this.

I watch as she slowly chews the ham. Gwen truly worked magic on her. The royals continue with their conversation for the rest of the dinner, but she remains silent. She does not eat anything else, but she watches the others closely. I can feel her gaze on me as well, and it makes my heart beat faster. Dinner finishes, and the royals get up from the table. Arthur places his hand in the small of Raven's back, and I see red at the edges of my vision. This is not good. I'm not normally the jealous type. They walk out of the room, and I am left to clean up the mess.

My skin is crawling in a terrible way at the way he is touching me. I want to just bite his hand, but I cannot shift yet. The prince walks me up to the battlements, and starts pointing out his favorite places in the kingdom. I watch each location, and space out. A cold wind blows, and gives me the opening I need to get away from the prince.

"It's really cold. Perhaps you could walk me back to my uncle's rooms?" I ask him kindly.

"Of course Grace," he says a little sadly. We walk back to Gaius's chambers in silence. I bid him goodnight outside the door, and duck inside quickly. I sigh once the door is shut. I look around, but Merlin is nowhere in sight. I hurry into the back room to get changed. I keep my eyes on Gawain as I gather some clothes. I strip quickly, and put on my normal clothes.

I just don't understand these dresses. I sigh as my worn old pants slide on. I tie them around my waist, and pull on my shirt. Time to find Merlin.


	14. Chapter 14

I race through the castle, as fast as I can. I turn a corner, and literally run right into Merlin. We both fall. I land on top of him, and I start laughing. "Sorry Merlin, but I wanted to make sure you were alright. You were very upset during dinner," I tell him.

I cannot move. She is on top of me, and I'm afraid that if I so much as breathe she'll jump away. Why is she apologizing? She pushes her small hands against my chest, so she can look at my face. I know that it is bright red, but she is still smiling at me. I feel my lips smile back at her, but I am still very aware that she is straddling my hips.

"Yeah, I'm alright I was just a little angry at the way the prince was touching you," I tell her.

"What's the matter don't think I can take care of myself?" she asks.

"I know you can. I kind of wished you would have smacked him or something," I tell her.

Suddenly her face turns red, and she looks around. Looks like she finally noticed the position she is in. "I am so sorry Merlin. I should have noticed sooner," she says quickly before getting up. I get this silly urge to pull her back, but I refrain from doing that. I sit up, and face her as she is sitting across from me.

"I am glad you were worried for me though," I tell her quietly. She blushes a bit more, before standing up.

"Well we should get back. Gaius will be worried, and it's getting pretty cold out," she says, as she offers me a hand up. I take it, and we walk back to Gaius's room. "Oh Merlin, did you know who that witch was in the forest?" she asks me.

"Yeah we used to be friends, but she is bent on using her magic to get the thrown from Uther. He might have looked lively, but he is gravely ill. It was a show he put on for you, and Arthur," I explain.

"So that explains the smell," she mumbles.

"Yes, since Morgana left he has been declining very fast. There is nothing Gaius can do to help him," I tell her. She looks a little sad. I lightly touch her arm, and she looks up at me. "Don't feel bad," I tell her.

"It just means that Albion is closer than ever," she says proudly.

"Where did you hear that?" I ask her.

"Emrys, I have heard many prophecies and legends about you and the once and future king," she says simply, before looking away.

"And?" I ask her.

"What?" I ask him back. I can see his slightly frustrated face out of the corner of my eye.

"Am I what you expected from the legends and prophecies?" he asks me.

I face him fully, and study him from head to toe. I walk around him in circles, and tut the entire time. I stop in front of him again, and shake my head. "I'm sorry Merlin, but you are nothing like what I imagined," I tell him. He looks sad. I step up close, so I can whisper to him. "You are so much more than I ever thought the great Emrys would be," I whisper, before taking off down the hallway. I can hear him chasing me, but I make it into the room safely. Gaius would never let Merlin into the room at night with me.

I stare at the door that leads to my room. I glance momentarily at Gaius who is looking at me curiously. I shrug and head to my temporary cot.

I stare at the sleeping form of Gawain, and frown. He's hurt, so I can't just kick him out. I peek out from the door, and see that Merlin is curled up on his cot. Gaius is awake, and working on a healing potion. I can smell the ingredients. I pad over to the table, and sit down opposite him.

"What was the hurry?" he asks me quietly.

"I said something really embarrassing. I was hoping to not deal with it tonight," I tell him. I watch him for a few more minutes. "You shouldn't add that yet," I comment simply. He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Why should I wait?" he asks.

"If you wait a few more minutes to add the yarrow, then the potion will be a tad more effective," I explain.

"How do you know all this?" he asks me curiously.

"In my pack we use the herbs around us. We are taught at an early age all the different potions for healing. Also in a shifter pack, knowledge is passed down through the generations mentally. It can be implanted the moment we are born. That is usually how it is done, that way it is less time the adults have to spend teaching us," I explain to him.

"Why would they not want to teach you?" he asks me.

"It takes time away from crops, and hunting, and other important pack things," I tell him.

"What other important pack things do they do?" He asks.

I glance over at Merlin for a moment, before looking back at Gaius. "Well once a shifter hits puberty, they tend to be a lot like bunnies," I say simply. I know my face is red, but it is an embarrassing topic.

"I see," is all he says. "Have you reached puberty yet, Raven?" he asks me. I feel my face start to really burn.

"No, I still have a year, before I will be able to pick a mate. I was honestly hoping to avoid bonding with a wizard. It makes mating a very hard thing to do," I tell him with a sigh.

"Why is that?" he asks.

"Because, where would I find time to mate with another shifter while I'm protecting Merlin? I certainly cannot mate with him standing a few feet away. Besides from what I saw a bonded shifter stops being able to reproduce," I explain with a sad sigh.

"Do you regret bonding with Merlin?" he asks me.

"No, but I do regret not being able to raise my own child. I had always wanted one, but I was too young before the great purge," I explain.

"I am sorry to hear that," Gaius says.

"It's alright. I have Merlin," I tell him.

"Are you only able to reproduce with another shifter?" he asks.

"I was never told if I was able to reproduce with other beings. I know it was frowned upon to be intimate with anyone other than a shifter," I tell him.

"I will set up another cot for you," Gaius says, before standing up.

"Thank you for talking to me," I say quietly.


	15. Chapter 15

I would like to thank all of you wonderful people who are following my story. It means a lot to know that I'm not the only person who likes what I write. Thank you very much for showing that you like it too: P

I toss and turn all night. I can't stop thinking about what I heard her say about mating. Just thinking about another person touching her is enough to make me mad, but to think about her belonging to another person altogether is driving me insane. I sit up, and look irritable around the room. I need something to help me sleep. Otherwise I'll be up all night, thinking about someone else making love to Raven.

I can feel his frustration. I should have known he would be listening to my conversation with Gaius. I peek over at him, and see him sit up. I sigh softly, before crawling out of bed. I pad silently over to him, and lightly touch his head. He looks up at me with a questioning look, but I push him over on the cot. "What's the matter Raven?" he whispers.

I ignore his question, and crawl under the covers with him. I feel him go stiff. "Stop your worrying, and get some sleep," I murmur. I'm already half asleep.

I can feel her pressed up against my side. She is fast asleep already, so I look down at her face. She has herself tucked into my side with her head on my shoulder. Her long black hair is spread out on my arm, and her breathes are warming my face. I pull the covers up with my free hand. What will Gaius think if he saw us? I feel a slight tingle at the edges of my mind, but it fades quickly.

I close my eyes for a moment, but when I open them again the sun is shining in through the window. I yawn, and stretch. "It's about time sleepy head," I hear Gaius say simply. I glance over at him, while I rub my eyes. I look down at my bed, and for the first time see that Raven is not in the bed with me. "She left to do your chores. Said something about letting you sleep. She even glared at me pointedly, so I left you alone," Gaius says. I get up quickly, and start getting dressed.

I place the food tray down lightly on the table in the prince's rooms. Now I just need to get him up. I smile at the many possibilities. I walk silently into the bedchamber, and whisper a few words. The curtains fly open, and the prince flinches slightly. "Good morning sire I have your food on the table, and your clothes for today set out," I tell him with a pleasant smile on my face.

"What are you doing in here Grace?" he asks as he tries to cover up as much as he can. I had no idea the prince went nude at night. What a very fun fact that I can use against him for pranks. I just stand there waiting for him to get up. "Well?" he asks me.

"Well Merlin has caught a cold, and Gaius insisted that he stay in bed today. I offered to take his place for you today," I tell him simply. I feel Merlin's location, and charm the door in Gaius's chambers to refuse Merlin. I can feel his instant annoyance, but I want him to have a decent day's rest. He had a fitful sleep last night.

"Can you at least look the other way, so I can dress?" The prince asks.

"I grew up with mostly brothers your highness. I am not unfamiliar with the male body. You do not need to be shy about anything," I tell him simply.

"Still, can you hand me my clothes and turn away please?" he asks pleadingly. I smile kindly, but hand him his clothes and turn away from him. I can hear him putting the clothes on as fast as possible.

"For today I believe you had a hunting trip planned after practice," I half ask, and half tell. He makes a noise that could be interpreted as a yes and a no.

"There is no way I can let you help me with any of those things the way I have Merlin assist me," he says sternly.

"Well I shall assist you in my own way. I am very handy with a sword, and a very good hunter," I tell him simply.

"If you say so," he says. I can tell he does not believe me. I shrug and wait till I hear him at the food tray, before turning to face him. His clothes are a mess, so I go over and tuck in his shirt tails. He jumps away from me with a crimson face. I ignore him, so he can eat.

I cannot believe she locked in Gaius's rooms. I would have been fine to work today. I peek in at Gawain. He is still sleeping, and Gaius went to pick herbs. I plop down on a stool, and look around the room. What am I going to do? I don't usually get days off.

I follow Arthur down to the practice field, after he awkwardly allowed me to help with his armor. I watch as he picks out his sword, and starts running through the poses. I walk calmly over to the sword rack, and pick out one that is very good for me. I step in front of him, and get into a ready stance. He moves to back away, so I attack.

I glance out the window, and see Arthur and Raven sparring. From what I can tell Raven is much better than Arthur. It looks almost like she is dancing around Arthur, and he doesn't know the steps. It's mesmerizing. I would have loved to watch such a fight up close. I feel a slight pressure in my mind, before Raven pulls me to her. I feel like I'm floating, but I have no body. I get freaked, and end up back in my body.

"Sorry I should have warned you first," she whispers through my mind. I shake my head, and let her know it is alright. I watch from the window. The other knights are gathered around them now. I don't blame them, she is beautiful. And yet she is also so very dangerous. "I will hunt with him after this, and then I will be back. Do you think you can behave yourself until I return or do I need to keep you locked in that room?" she teases me slightly.

"Of course I can behave myself!" I snap a little too harshly. I can feel the way it stings her. I feel bad now.


	16. Chapter 16

"So long as you can behave I shall let you out," she whispers harshly. My head aches a little, but I know that deserved it. I hurry to try to catch up with them before they leave for the hunt, but they are long gone.

I keep the horse steady. Horses and I never get along. I think it has something to do with the predator in me. Who knows? I follow Arthur to the spot he wants to leave the horses. I brought my own long bow with me today, so I get it ready and make sure my quiver is in place. He has a peculiar look on his face.

"You're serious about hunting with me?" he asks.

"Of course I am your majesty, why wouldn't I be?" I ask him seriously. He just shakes his head at me, before walking away. I pull an arrow from my quiver, and set it, so I have it ready. This is going to be interesting. I move silently through the woods. So silent in fact that several times Arthur has stopped to see if I am still following him.

He spots a buck up ahead, and I get into position. He makes jerky movements, probably trying to tell me not to get too close. I ignore him, and move in. I get a few feet away, and let my arrow fly. The buck goes down, and doesn't move again. I look back at Arthur, and see the shocked look on his face. I smile up at him, and remove my arrow from the buck's throat.

I enjoy hunting, but when Arthur refuses to actually bring the carcasses back with us I get very upset. It is a waist to kill any animal if you do not plan to use what is left when the spirit leaves. I ride next to him in irritated silence. I hope Merlin had a better day then I did. "You have greatly surprised me," he says into the silence.

"How so my lord?" I ask.

"You are an amazing fighter and hunter. I never saw it coming," he says.

"Well I told you this morning, but you chose not to believe me," I tell him simply.

He laughs a little. "I do hope Merlin is feeling better tomorrow morning," he says.

"You do not wish for me to help you again tomorrow?" I ask.

"That has nothing to do about it. I would rather not wear anything to bed," he says with a smirk on his face.

"Oh so you are just thinking about yourself! Figures, I thought you actually cared about Merlins well being. Guess he is just a servant to you," I snap at him, before riding ahead. I need Merlin; I have been away from him for too long already. I unsaddle the horse, and put it back in its stable. I hurry to Gaius's rooms. I open the door, and there he is. Sitting there reading a book. I throw my arms around his neck from behind.

"You know I kind of missed you," I hear Raven's voice whisper beside my ear.

"I kind of missed you too," I whisper back.

"How is Gawain doing?" she asks.

"All better. He went home today," I tell her. She sighs, and her breathe tickles my ear.

"That means I can use that room again," she says. "Oh that's right," she says almost happily.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Can you look at this?" she asks. I turn towards her, and see the wound she got protecting me. It is almost all healed.

"Do you want me to remove the stitches? It's almost time for them to come out," I tell her.

"Could you?" she asks.

"Just give me a minute," I tell her. I grab a pair of succors, and approach her. I pause, because she is mostly naked, and completely trusting. Not to mention I am going to have to touch her. I feel my face flush, but I kneel down next to her. I lightly place my hand on one side of the stitches. I carefully snip each stitch, and remove them from her skin.

I can feel the warmth of his hand. It is very close to my chest, but he has to put his hand there to cut the stitches. At least I think he does. It's hard to think with his hand there. What was I thinking about again? He removes his hand, and pulls my shirt down. "I got the stitches out, but be careful with moving around. It still has a bit of healing to do," he says.

I turn so I can look him in the face. He is very close, and right now that is very dangerous. I jump away from him, as I hear footsteps outside. Arthur comes in, and sees that we are a little closer then he would have liked. "I got worried when you took off," he says sheepishly.

"Well good news Merlin is feeling better," I tell him.

"I see that, so I will be going. I'll see you tomorrow morning" he says before taking off down the hall.

"I have to leave in a few more days," I tell Merlin.

"What why?" he asks.

"I'm getting too much attention. If this carries on I might make an enemy of the prince," I tell him.

"But what do you mean you're going to leave?" he asks. He sounds really worried. I look at him. He is really getting worked up over this.

"I mean I will shift back into my wolf form, and still be here," I tell him. He studies my face for a few moments before looking away. His face is all red.

"What is it?" I ask him. I can't resist teasing him a little.

"It's nothing so don't worry about it," he says.

"Well if it is enough to bother you than it is something. Please tell me Merlin," I plead. He shakes his head no, and refuses to meet my eye.

"What is bothering you, you twit?" I ask him sharply.

He looks at me, grabs my head, and kisses me.


	17. Chapter 17

I blink a few times, before melting into him. I bury my fingers in his hair, and sigh as he deepens the kiss. I hear the footsteps in the hallway, and stand up quickly. In the blink of an eye, I am in my room, and the door is closed. I place a hand lightly on my lips. They feel tingly, and my head still fells a little foggy. I hear Gaius come in and start talking to Merlin. I feel a smile stretch my face. Man I got it bad if just thinking about him makes me smile.

I bury my face in my hands, and slide down to a sitting position. I need to not let that happen again. 'I had a lot of fun,' I hear him whisper through my mind. I shiver, and feel his amusement. I put up my walls as thick as possible, but he is already inside. Not that it is entirely a bad thing. I feel someone knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I ask softly.

"It's Gaius," he says.

I crack open the door a little, and I see his smile get bigger. "What?" I snap.

"You have the same foolish look on your face that Merlin had on his," he says sweetly. I peek past him, and see that Merlin has left again. I puff out my chest, and hurry out of the room. I head to Gwen's house. I need to talk to another girl. She will understand my feelings. I hurry through the streets, and almost run into her on the way.

"Gwen!" I say excitedly.

"What is it?" she asks. She must think something is wrong.

"Can we talk?" I ask her shyly. She studies me for a moment, before nodding. We head back to her place.

"What is it?" she asks again.

"Merlin kissed me," I tell her simply. I can feel that my cheeks are bright red. She gasps, covers her mouth, and starts to get all giddy.

"What did you do?" she asks.

With a sigh I collapse into a chair. "I kissed him back," I tell her. "Does that make me a bad person?" I ask. She sits next to me.

"Of course not. If you like the person I see no reason why you should not kiss him back," she says sweetly. I look up at her.

"Do you kiss Arthur back?" I ask. Her face burns momentarily, before draining of all color.

"What are you talking about?" she asks shakily.

"I know you both have feelings for each other and I know that Arthur being who he is would have made at least one move by now," I tell her.

"Well since you already know then there is no harm in admitting that yes I kiss him back. Do you think that makes me a bad person?" she asks me. I look up at her smiling face.

"No, it makes us both foolish I think," I say with another sigh.

"Well you are right about that at least," she says with a soft laugh.

"Thank you Gwen. I don't know what I would have done if I wasn't able to talk with you," I tell her before wrapping my arms around her. She seems surprised but hugs me back.

"Don't mention it. I am here whenever you need to talk," she tells me.

"Oh, that reminds me. I'm going to be leaving soon. My father wants me back home," I tell her.

"I see, well I hope you have a safe journey," she says and gives me another hug. I blink for a moment. Man I am going completely soft. I need to go on a really good hunt. I hug her back before leaving. Hopefully Merlin will either be asleep or out. It is going to be very awkward.

I turn over in my bed again. Where the blast is she? Why do I feel so uneasy without her here? Because she put her walls up nice and high, I can't locate her. I turn over again, and watch as the door opens. She pokes her head in, and looks around. I smile at her silly behavior. She tip toes through the room, to the door to my old room. She is about to touch the handle, when she stops and looks directly at me. I close my eyes and wait till I hear the door close.

"Just one while he sleeps should be alright," I whisper. I kneel next to his cot, and study his face. Carefully I place my lips to his for a moment before getting up and whispering goodnight. I hurry off to bed.

I sit up quickly as the door closes. My hand light on my lips. It was nothing like the kiss I gave her earlier, but it had almost the same effect. I almost wish she would stay human for a little while longer. I think about the way guys in the market would turn to look at her. No it's better for her to turn back into a wolf if it meant she would belong only to me.

Besides it's not like she has to stay as a wolf. She can turn back at any time. I curl up under my blankets, and fall asleep quickly.

I stretch, and look around in the early morning. I can feel no pull on my wound, which means it, is alright to shift. I peek out of my door to look at Merlin. He is fast asleep. I am going to miss being able to touch him terribly, but it is better that I do this now. I shift and shake out my fur. It feels good to be back in this shape. I pad silently into the other room.

I lay down on the floor by Merlin's bed. I close my eyes for a few minutes, before Gaius gets up. I hurry to get a bucket of water for him. He looks down at me as I place it at his feet. "Raven?" he asks in disbelief. I wag my tail at him, and sit on the floor. "What happened?" he asks.

"I need to stay this way for a bit. I was getting too much attention," I murmur through his mind. His eyes go buggy, and he rubs his temple a little. He is not as gifted as Merlin is so even a little pressure causes him pain. I drop my ears a little.

"What's the matter?" he asks. I place my paw over my muzzle. "You won't talk to me?" he asks in surprise. I wag my tail at him. "Why?" he asks. I put both paws on my head just in front of my ears, and scrunch up my face. "Your voice will hurt me?" he asks, and I wag my tail more. He smiles in understanding.

"RAVEN!" I hear Merlin's shout from behind me. I look at him over my shoulder, and give him a wolfish smile. "What are you doing?" he asks in a hurt voice.

"I told you, I was getting too much attention. Besides the wound in my side is all healed up," I tell him. He smiles a little at the sound of my voice whispering in his mind.

"I thought you meant in like a month or something?" he says. He is still pouting.

"Arthur is waiting for you," I tell him.

"Come with me?" he asks. I glance up at Gaius, and see him nod his approval. I look back at Merlin and nod. He gets dressed after bathing, and we head off to Arthur's rooms. I open the door for him, and hurry in to jump on the bed.

I hear Arthur start screaming before I even get half way down the hall. I hurry in, and see him sprawled across the floor trying to push Raven off of him. I laugh at the sight. "Merlin! Get this mutt off of me!" he yells.

I hurry in, and lightly touch her on top of her head. She steps away, and allows Arthur to get up. "What did you do to him?" I ask her mentally.

"Sat on his head," she whispers evilly. I watch as Arthur gets up, and looks at Raven.

"I was beginning to think she had died. I'm glad she still alive. Although at this moment I could kill her myself," Arthur says in an irritated voice.


	18. Chapter 18

Merlin starts to laugh and I just wag my tail at the young prince. He shakes his head at me. I hurry over and pull open the curtains. He groans, and throws a pillow at Merlin. "What was that for?" he yells back at the prince.

"She is your mutt, so you need to take responsibility for her," Arthur says simply as he gets up off the floor.

"So why did I get hit with the pillow?" he says in a slightly whiny voice.

"Because I am afraid she will attack me. You are harmless and a complete weakling. She is very dangerous," the prince says reasonably. I give Merlin a look that would have interpreted into 'duh' had I still been human. He nods and starts making the princes bed. I shoo him away, and do it myself.

"I'm going to go get the princes food. Will you be alright alone with him until I get back?" he asks.

"Yeah I think everything will be fine. Go ahead," I tell him. I get together Arthurs clothes for the day.

He takes it, but he is still giving me a suspicious look. I wait till I think he is almost done drying off before I bring his undergarments. He is still suspicious. I continue to bring him his clothes until Merlin comes back. Arthur steps out from behind the curtain and sees Merlin. "How lazy can you be to make the dog bring me my clothes?" he asks irritably.

"Sire I was getting your food. I was not even in the room," Merlin tells him.

"That explains why you were so quiet. I thought you might have fallen ill, or asleep," Arthur says jokingly. I growl lightly so he knows that I am displeased, but that is all. He looks at me wearily before sitting down to eat. I watch Merlin stand patiently next to Arthur. I curl up at his feet and rest.

"Any chance you can be human again tonight?" Merlin asks me mentally.

"I can be human whenever I want why do I need to be one tonight?" I ask him back.

"I would really enjoy kissing you some more," he says simply. I peek up at him and see him smirking. I growl only a little but thump my tail on the floor.

"Be quiet. I will not become human just so you can kiss me," I tell him stubbornly.

"I know you liked it. Your moan was really erotic," he whispers through my mind. I shiver a little.

"Doesn't matter, for now I need to remain in this form. At least until Arthur is firmly settled in with Gwen. After I know for a fact that they will be together without any complications then I will come back as human," I tell him firmly.

"Why?" he asks.

"I do not like Arthur's advances," I tell him simply. He sighs loudly, and rolls his eyes. I smack his leg with my tail, and he yelps.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur asks.

"She smacked me with her tail and it stung," he complains.

"You are such a baby Merlin do you know that?" he asks.

"I do now," Merlin says sarcastically.

"Here eat this I don't find it to my liking," Arthur says and he puts his plate down in front of me. I sniff at it, and do not smell anything interesting at all. I turn my nose up at it. "What is wrong with you Merlin? Serving me food that a dog wouldn't even eat," Arthur complains.

"Actually sire she is a very picky eater. I had a hard time getting her food because she hated a lot of the stuff that I made," Merlin tells the prince.

"I don't believe you because she absolutely loved the food you made when she first joined our little party," Arthur says.

"She was also very sick when we returned to Camelot, and she did not want anything at all but I made her eat some small things," Merlin tells the prince.

"Let's go I need to get started on my training for today, and guess who will have the honor to be my target today?" he asks Merlin.

"Let me guess, me?" Merlin asks.

"No I think I shall let Raven here be my moving target," Arthur says smoothly. I glare at him and growl deep in my throat. I would love to see him try to use me as a moving target. He chuckles a little. "Don't worry girl, Merlin is destined to be the moving target today. He usually is," Arthur says and gives me a reassuring pat on the head. I wag my tail and get up to stretch.

"Gee thanks for looking out for me Raven. What are you going to do if I get hurt?" he asks. I think about it for a minute and tilt my head to the side. Because he said that out loud I do not think it would be wise to tell him what I think of the situation.

"She will probably be standing on the sidelines laughing at you while you writhe on the ground screaming your fool head off," Arthur says reassuringly. I give them both a wolfish smile, and follow them down to the armory.


	19. Chapter 19: nightmares and doubts

I watch the two of them training. I can see and smell the seat pouring off of them. Thank goodness I am sitting under a tree. Arthur is relentless in his fighting. I send a bit of strength and encouragement to Merlin through our connection. I see his eyes flit to me briefly before returning to Arthur. He has been getting better, but it is still too easy for Arthur to beat Merlin.

Arthur's sword slices Merlin's hand and he drops the sword. I rush over and tackle Arthur to the ground. I pad over and make sure Merlin is alright. "Let me see," I whisper in his mind. He holds his hand out, and I see a deep cut but it is not fatal. "Go see Gaius," I tell him. He gets up and hurries away.

I turn my attention to Arthur, and I flatten my ears to my head. The color leaves his face a little. I growl, and step closer. My teeth snap an inch from his face, but I walk away to see how Merlin is doing. Chances are that Arthur will probably never hurt Merlin again, if the scent of urine is a sign. I open the door to Gaius's room and see Merlin sitting on a bench. Gaius is wrapping his hand.

"I am terrible at fighting with a sword and yet he always makes me practice with him. What if this happens again and it is fatal. I could lose a finger or a hand. He doesn't care. To him I am just a servant," Merlin says.

"That isn't true Merlin," I hear Arthur say from behind me. I step aside as he enters the room. "It was an accident. I would never hurt you intentionally," Arthur explains. I pad back down to the armory. I feel like I'm intruding or something. I curl up in a shadowy corner, and close my eyes.

It's been a couple of hours. I look around briefly. "Gaius I can't find her and I can't hear her either. You don't think something bad happened to her do you?" I ask him.

"Merlin, do you really think she could not defend herself?" Gaius asks.

"I don't know. She makes me feel strong and brave and humble all at the same time. She makes me want to be like Arthur every time I look at her. How can I not be worried when she is not around," I tell him.

"Does she know what she does to you?" he asks.

"I'm sure she does because she practically lives in my mind. She can tell where I am and whether I am in danger. Damn it!" I yell.

"What is wrong?" Gaius asks. I peek up at him.

"How can she have worked her way into my heart and mind so fast Gaius. Is she using magic? Or she just naturally enchanting?" I ask him. He sits next to me.

"Merlin, this is what love feels like. It drives you mad and can make you do stupid things," he tells me.

"Isn't love supposed to be a good feeling?" I ask.

"No, if it felt good then anyone could feel it for anyone. What you are feeling is true love because you feel so uneasy. It is perfectly normal. I felt the same way with a friend of mine," he tells me.

"Do you have any idea how I can make sure she is alright?" I ask him.

"You said she can tell where you are and if you're alright?" Gaius asks.

"Yes, but how would that help me?" I ask.

"Turn it around. If you look deep enough you might be able to find the connection and follow it back to her," he tells me. I nod my head and close my eyes, before I search for her. I find the connection easily and find her sleeping in the armory.

"Thank you Gaius, I found her," I tell him with a hug, before I hurry out of the room. As I'm racing down to the armory I hear a sharp scream. It is a mental scream, but it shakes the entire castle. I grip my head, and fall to my knees. The pain slicing through my head is unbearable. I open my eyes, and see other's in the hall doing the same. It must be Raven. She is the only one strong enough to be heard in the minds of all. I stagger to my feet and hurry down to the armory. I burst into the room and see everything levitating. She is writhing in a corner on the floor.

I hurry over and place my hand lightly on her side. She instantly stills in a very danger way. I hear her start growling in a low throaty tone. I scoot closer, and whisper in her ear. "Raven get up its Merlin," I tell her.

I was being tortured again. I hate it when they use the red hot pokers. But then instead of a burn I feel a hand. Everything stops. I growl because it will take more than pokers for them to break me like that. Then the sweetest voice in the world whispers in my ear. "Raven get up its Merlin," it says. I open my eyes and see his face. I blink a few times before I realize that I'm not being tortured anymore. I relax my magic and things slowly come back to the ground. "Are you alright?" Merlin asks me.

I look around in confusion, before blinking up at him. "What's going on?" I ask. Everything feels slow. Like your feet are stuck in the mud or something.

"I think you were having a nightmare," he tells me. I nod my head slowly.

"That seems very likely. We should go before someone comes looking for you," I tell him. He nods and helps me up carefully. I shudder at the thought of what those memories can do. Hopefully he doesn't ask me to tell him what I was remembering.


	20. Chapter 20 hurt feelings

Sorry for the really short chapter. I hope you enjoy it anyway's

"Merlin!" I hear Gaius yelling before we even get to the door. I move a little faster. "What did you do Merlin?" he asks me.

"It wasn't me," I tell him. It looks like he is in some serious pain. "Are you alright?" I ask.

"It was my fault. I have told you before Merlin that my mental voice is very loud. I was screaming and it may have caused a few people to temporarily lose their hearing. Most will have passed out after three minutes. There will be questioning, because as you saw everybody felt it. Magic will be suspected," I tell him.

Merlin relays what I said to him. "Then we should all be on our best behavior," Gaius says simply. The door behind Merlin and I slams open. I look over my shoulder at Arthur. He is holding his head, and stumbling around. This does not look good. He must have been closer than others. I think about that and look up at Merlin. He came to me when I was screaming. He must have been terribly worried.

"Gaius, make it stop," Arthur says through gritted teeth. He falls to the floor in agony; I can see the blood at his ears. I reach out with my magic and force him to fall asleep. I lightly touch his forehead with a paw, and restore his mind.

"He will be as good as new," I tell Merlin.

"Raven what were you doing?" Gaius asks me.

"I was having a nightmare. I was tortured by soldier of Uther's. During the great purge, they thought it was fun to use red hot pokers. They would laugh with every scream. They are not fond memories. I do not have the nightmares often enough for it to be a problem," I tell him. He is watching Merlin though because he is the one speaking. Both of them have looks of horror on their faces.

"How did you get away?" Gaius asks.

"I am pure magic; it was easy after they left me alone. It meant I had to deal with several days' worth of torture, but I got away. That is the important part. They were going to get Uther," I tell them. They nod, but don't ask me any more questions.

"Try to lay really low from now on. There is bound to be a search for a sorcerer. I would rather neither one of you get found out, now let us get him up onto a bed," Gaius says simply. We get him up onto the exam table and I walk out of the room. I feel really bad. Out in the hall there are several people out cold.

"We all have nightmare's, don't feel too bad," Merlin says from right behind me.

I look up at him and whimper a little, Memories hurt just as much as actual pain. "And stop giving me those puppy dog eyes. Come on, let's go for a walk. Gaius says Arthur won't wake up till morning," he tells me. I wag my tail a little, and follow him into the woods.


	21. Chapter 21 preventing another witch hunt

I watch as Arthur sleeps peacefully. I could have seriously hurt him. I have to be more careful. I hear the king behind me. He finally fell asleep. He does not feel healthy, and I can smell that his spirit is leaving. He is losing the will to live and remain in this world. I head out of the prince's chambers. I don't want to be there when one of them wakes up. The castle is hushed. That is most likely my fault. No one wants to talk for fear of the screaming to start again.

I pass several people and they are all terrified. There will no doubt be a search for the source of the magic. An idea pops into my mind. In fact it is brilliant. I hurry out of the castle without a word to Merlin or Gaius. If they want to find a witch then I shall give them a witch. I grab some clothes, and hurry into the woods. I will have to be very fast about this. I find a good bushy area, and shift. I dress quickly, so I don't catch a chill. Now time to hurry back to Camelot.

"Have any of you seen anything suspicious in the last day or two?" I hear Sir Leon asking in the next street. I head in that direction, so I can work a little magic. I send a wave of magic out ahead of me. Raw magic by itself can do very odd things. I turn the corner and see that everyone has turned into animals. I giggle a little, but turn them back. Sir Leon pounces on me, and puts shackles around my wrists. I let it happen while everybody else tries to figure out what happened.

"Your Majesty, I have found the witch," Sir Leon yells from the hallway. I look at Arthur. He only just woke up, so he is disorientated.

He waves for me to let him in. I head over and open the door. Everything in me freezes. I see Raven bound in chains, with bruises all over her body, and a gag in her mouth. I don't know how to react. "Let them in Merlin. I want to see who the witch is," Arthur says from his bed. I see her wink at me and smile around the gag, but she has me locked out of her mind.

I step aside, and let Sir Leon enter Arthur's chambers. Arthur recognizes who she is immediately. "This girl changed an entire group of people, me included, into animals. She then proceeded to change us back to humans. It felt very wrong Sire," Sir Leon says simply.

"Grace, why didn't you tell me you were a witch?" Arthur asks. He sounds heartbroken.

I struggle a little against the shackles that Sir Leon put on my wrists. "She is gagged your majesty, because on the way here she tried to say several spells. I got tired of beating her after the fifth one," Sir Leon explains.

"Remove the gag. If she tries another spell then beat her," Arthur says easily. Sir Leon removes the gag from my mouth, and I curse at him. He has an odd gleam in his eyes that makes me think he is enjoying himself.

"Why did you send that sound here?" Arthur asks.

"I wanted to watch you and your people squirm in agony. It was most amusing for me," I tell him with a wicked grin.

"So glad that people suffering amuses you," Arthur snaps. I give him my most seductive smile. He grimaces, because it affects him. It affects everybody. I see Merlin step a little closer.

Her eyes are on me in a second and she winks again. "Why are you looking at him?" Arthur asks angrily.

"He is very sexy that is why I look at him," she says breathily. I feel my heart skip a beat at that, but I stay back a few feet. She is doing this so they will stop looking for a witch. I just hope she has a plan for the fire. "Tell me Arthur, are you mad because you chased after me, and I shot you down? Or is it because I find Merlin more attractive?" she asks him sweetly.

"I am mad because you are a witch and you didn't tell me," he snaps at her.

"Well geez. I knew of your reputation, so if I told you, you would have killed me regardless," she says simply.

"So why did you accept my invitation for dinner?" he asks angrily.

"You insisted and you are the prince. If I didn't do as you ask, I could be hanged for insolence" she says easily.

"I want her head cut off," Arthur says viciously. Sir Leon nods and drags her away. It only takes a few minutes for him to take her out to the cutting block. I hear the axe hit the block, and then silence. I don't feel anything strange. I hurry to the window, and see Sir Leon dumping a body that is very feminine. Then he tosses a head with long chocolate curls. I feel my heart stutter a beat.

"Merlin come over here, and help me get up. I want to see that her head is cleanly cut off," Arthur says from the bed. I turn around and help him. I see movement at the door and look over, and see Raven. She wags her tail at me and winks. I can't help but smile because she is so clever. I help Arthur over to the window, so he can see the body. 'Is it a spell Raven?' I ask her mentally.

'Yes it is. Once they have dumped it off somewhere it shall disappear. Now they will stop looking for witches or wizards. We will be perfectly fine for a little while at least,' she says softly to me. Thank goodness she is so smart. I think I like her even more now. 'Oh, Merlin, I like you too,' she says softly.


End file.
